The U.S. is going through a period of profound change in the nature of the workplace through the rise of new industries and the advent of telecommuting, remote learning, the gig economy, and automation, among other changes. Yet the laws and regulations that cover these areas, like the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, were written nearly a century ago for an economy that little resembles the world of today. Too often, these laws and regulations serve as impediments to entrepreneurs, emerging industries, and the rights of individual workers. CEI is dedicated to fair-minded reform that places the rights of individual workers first.

Whether it is exposing legislation and regulations that benefit unions, lawyers or management at the expense of workers, detailing the folly of occupational licensing laws; supporting the expansion of state right-to-work laws; or highlighting the overreach of lawmakers, bureaucrats, and courts; CEI advances reforms in this crucial, often overlooked policy area. Our op-eds, policy papers, media appearances, coalition work, and innovative research serve as crucial counterweights to the aggressive efforts by unions and their allies to frame the policy debate.

Labor and Employment Issue Areas

Featured Posts

Freelancers want to be free 

Blog

Freelancers want to be free 

The labor movement has been trying for years to organize gig economy workers, claiming that they are traditional employees being exploited by their bosses. The problem is that gig employees don’t view themselves that way…

Labor and Employment

Search Posts

National Review

The Life of Julius

Remember the White House’s poster child for welfare dependency, Julia? Meet Julius. Julius is the star of a new original production from my team at the Competitive Enterprise Institute…

Labor and Employment

Staff & Scholars

Sean Higgins

Research Fellow

  • Deregulation
  • Labor and Employment

Ryan Young

Senior Economist and Director of Publications

  • Antitrust
  • Business and Government
  • Regulatory Reform

Ivan Osorio

Editorial Director

  • Labor and Employment

Iain Murray

Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow

  • Banking and Finance
  • Trade and International